Library
Anthropology 20: Fantastic Archaeology
Professor: Scott MacEachern
Librarian: Leanne Pander (lpander@bowdoin.edu; x3260)
 Fig. 110 — Restoration of the skull and lower jaw of
Eoanthropus dawsonii … [American Anthropologist, n.s., 16, 1914, p.332.] |
» Start with the Library Gateway, library.bowdoin.edu
Overview of General Research Methods
The Getting Started link takes you to information about library research strategies, finding materials in the Bowdoin libraries and through NExpress or MaineCat, loan periods, evaluation of websites, and other FAQ’s. This is the place to start learning about what a research library has to offer!
Research Guide for Anthropology
An extensive guide to resources in Anthropology, on the library web site under Research by Subject - Anthropology.
Finding Books
Library of Congress Subject Headings are the “official” vocabulary for looking up books on any topic. Some suggested SUBJECT headings include: Atlantis; Noah’s Ark; Deluge; Bible and Geology; Holy Shroud; Civilization, Ancient—Extraterrestrial Influences.
You may also try KEYWORD searching; it’s less precise, but sometimes yields excellent results.
Finding Journal Articles
The Library subscribes to more than 100 scholarly Indexes/Databases designed to help researchers find published articles and other materials. Coverage ranges from general and popular topics to scholarly and peer-reviewed journal articles. Some indexes include the full text of articles, while others list only citations, some with abstracts. These resources are NOT the same as Web Search Engines; they access information that is NOT available for free on the web. Reference librarians can help you select the most relevant resources for your topic; see also the Subject Guide to Indexes and Databases. Several useful indexes are listed below.
Academic Search Premier
A multi-disciplinary index containing indexing and full text for more than 3,600 scholarly and popular journals. Selected coverage back to the 1970’s, with most from 1990’s to present.
Lexis-Nexis Academic
Full text of worldwide newspapers, newswires, and transcripts. This is a great source for articles in the mainstream press, covering 1980’s to present.
Anthropology Plus
Over 1,000 English and European language periodicals are indexed, along with books of collected works in anthropology. This uses Library of Congress subject headings but keyword searching is also effective. This index is produced by the Tozzer Library at Harvard and the Museum of Mankind Library in Great Britain. Includes citations back to the 19th Century.
Do We Own the Journal?
Use the Journals section of the Library Gateway to determine whether we own a particular journal in print or electronic format. If we do not have the journal you need, use Interlibrary Loan to request an article from another library.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Through this service, libraries all over the world cooperate by sharing books and journal articles. Register for an ILL account through the Library Gateway. Always fill out ILL request forms completely, and include the “Source of Citation;” i.e., exactly where you found the information about the article. Allow one to two weeks to receive your articles.
NExpress
A shared catalog for Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, Middlebury, Wellesley, Williams, and Northeastern. Allows you to request books or journal articles directly online.
MaineCat
The statewide catalog listing the holdings of Colby, Bates, the University of Maine, and other Maine libraries, as well as Bowdoin. You can request books (not articles) directly online
Web Sites
Don’t believe everything you find on the Web! Much of it is biased, misinformed, or fraudulent. See Evaluating WWW Sources on the Getting Started page for suggestions.
The following web sites contains material relevant for this class:
Bad Archaeology
http://www.badarchaeology.net/index.php
“The brainchild of a couple of archaeologists who are fed up with the distorted view of the past that passes for knowledge in popular culture.”
CSICOP
http://www.csicop.org/
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, an international organization of skeptics and publishers of Skeptical Inquirer magazine.
Doug Weller's Archaeology Site
http://www.ramtops.co.uk/
Doug’s stated purpose is to use this site “for what in my opinion is interesting information about archaeology. In particular this will include a section on what is often called cult or fringe archaeology.” Many
links to fascinating articles and web sites.
Fringe Archaeology Sites
http://elearn.mtsac.edu/elawlor/incredible/links_fringe.htm
Aims to “equip YOU to decide whether certain "science" in the media is really credible (supported by evidence) or incredible (unsupported or contradicted by evidence).”
Selected Reference Books
Encyclopedia of Sacred Places
Norbert C. Brockman. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1997.
Ref. BL 580 B76 1997
Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural
James Randi. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995.
Ref. BF 1407 R36 1995